The Good: The background information provided by these novellas will entertain hardcore series fans. Those who want to know the beginnings of the worlThe Good: The background information provided by these novellas will entertain hardcore series fans. Those who want to know the beginnings of the world the series is set in will find these exactly what they're looking for.

The Bad: There really isn't enough new information in these stories to warrant them necessary to casual fans. Sadly, they aren't all that interesting either. They are very loosely related to the current storyline in the books, focusing on other characters. Novellas only really work for casual readers when they feature a well-known, beloved character....more

The Good: An interesting premise with a great cast of characters. Well written and I honestly could have found myself loving this book if not for someThe Good: An interesting premise with a great cast of characters. Well written and I honestly could have found myself loving this book if not for some major foreshadowing issues.

The Bad: The entirety of this book hinges on one big reveal and the repercussions of what that discovery means. That usually works well, but when you see the big reveal coming a third of the way through the book it's a huge letdown to be proved right. It's just too obvious, to the point where I found myself wondering why no one on the road to publication suggested vague-ing the situation up a bit. ...more

The Good: I had no idea what to expect when I opened The Colossus Rises. I was a happy to find a middle grade adventure story with supernatural elemenThe Good: I had no idea what to expect when I opened The Colossus Rises. I was a happy to find a middle grade adventure story with supernatural elements. Or rather, mostly science fiction/superhero elements, rather than paranormal. Jack is a realistic protagonist, asking the important questions and not taking explanations at face value. The series seems poised to teach readers about the 7 Wonders of the Ancient World, which I think is awesome as even I, an adult with all my schooling and extracurricular reading, know next to nothing about them.

The Bad: This series is destined to be compared to Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series. I caught myself doing it multiple times while reading The Colossus Rises. There are just as many similar elements as there are themes unique to each series - but, Percy Jackson offers up quite a bit more that would be considered "educational."...more

The Good: While there are definitely some growing pains in this second installment of the Wildefire series, it ends powerfully - giving readers a stroThe Good: While there are definitely some growing pains in this second installment of the Wildefire series, it ends powerfully - giving readers a strong and definite need to read the next book. Ash learns a lot in this novel, as well as develops her character more fully, molding her and the situation into something that may work extremely well in the future.

The Bad: The things that made Wildefire really shine - the boarding school, Ash's relationship with her friends and the mystery as to what is really going on are all MIA here. Ash on her own isn't compelling enough to carry a story. While she meets more gods and goddesses in Miami, they aren't in the same place as Ash in her development of abilities and the chemistry feels off....more

I was skeptical of Wildefire at first. I love mythology, but usually stick to what I know - Greek, Roman, Egyptian and occasionally Norse. As it was eI was skeptical of Wildefire at first. I love mythology, but usually stick to what I know - Greek, Roman, Egyptian and occasionally Norse. As it was explained to me, Wildefire was chock full of Polynesian mythology and that almost scared me off. Previous to Wildefire, I don't think I even knew there was Polynesian mythology and learning an entirely new pantheon was a daunting prospect.

I had heard glorious things about Wildefire from early readers, and as is usually the case, I bowed to peer pressure when the opportunity to read it presented itself. I can firmly say that in this case, peer pressure was a good thing. I can't imagine having passed on Wildefire now having experienced it.

Wildefire does feature Polynesian mythology, but rather than focusing on it, it incorporates it with other pantheons that I was already comfortable with. This made it much easier to grasp certain aspects while leaving the story open for surprises. And surprise it did. Wildfire is one of those books that easily sucks you in. With familiar themes, it convinces the reader they know what to expect. Just when you have it all figured out, something perfectly out of left field blows your mind.

I love a good boarding school novel and Wildefire has that going for it. But even without the Blackwood Academy setting, Wildefire would have been near perfection. The characters are multi-dimensional and easily get under your skin. The writing is fast paced without being confusing or glossing over details. The premise is original, the romance sweet with a bit of an edge and the plot as a whole is as I previously mentioned, mind blowing.

Wildefire ended up being even more spectacular for me than I could have ever hoped for. As the first book in a planned trilogy, it'll leave you completely satisfied, yet craving the next book intensely. Mythology fans will adore Wildefire. Karsten Knight has proven himself to be an author to keep your eye on with this wonderful debut novel. ...more

The Good: Mythology, especially Greek mythology, is a weakness of mine and Jenna Black does it right in Dark Descendant. Descendants of the gods, walkThe Good: Mythology, especially Greek mythology, is a weakness of mine and Jenna Black does it right in Dark Descendant. Descendants of the gods, walking the Earth, fighting amongst themselves has been done, but Black tweaks the formula enough to make it fresh. Plus, she gives us a strong heroine in Nikki who's not too stupid, too naive, too trusting or too man-crazy for her own good.

The Bad: Other than just about perfect aim, Nikki's descendant superpower is that her hunches are pretty accurate. She's like totally good at finding stuff, but it only seems to really work when she's not focusing too hard on it so the whole search that depends on her is just running around in aimless circles until she gets sort of zen about it and learns how to trust her instincts. Not the most thrilling of mystery climaxes....more

The Good: I found myself getting really very excited about this book while reading it. I had wanted to read it, finally got around to starting it, andThe Good: I found myself getting really very excited about this book while reading it. I had wanted to read it, finally got around to starting it, and as it progressed, I became more and more invested. That is a wonderful feeling while reading the book. Once I got into it, I fell in love with Gwen and the school. I seek out boarding school YA and judge it based on the multitudes I've read before. Mythos Academy is definitely up there with the best. I especially loved the ending and how it tied Gwen into the world more completely while promising many more adventures to come.

The Bad: It took me a while to get into Touch of Frost because of the whole warrior thing. All of the students were these super tough battle types and it was sort of overwhelming. I mean, what school - no matter how specialized - doesn't have its set of weaklings, outcasts and students on the fringe? Sure they were all separated into cliques based on their mythological heritage, but that only served to make Gwen the sole odd man out. ...more

I generally dislike prequels, but decided to give The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess a shot because I enjoyed both of Leanna Renee Hieber's prI generally dislike prequels, but decided to give The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess a shot because I enjoyed both of Leanna Renee Hieber's previous Strangely Beautiful books. I'm very glad I gave Perilous Prophecy a chance.

Perilous Prophecy focuses on the everything leading up to the London guard's meeting Percy Parker. We get to experience the early days of Alexi's guard, see exactly how Persephone became Percy Parker, and get to know the Egypt guard that was only briefly touched upon in Darkly Luminous. These people and events are essential to the tale of Percy Parker and nothing frivolously unnecessary was included included. My dislike of prequels stems from the usual inclusion of random and unrelated tangents that do nothing to explain the world or the story in the books that come after. Perilous Prophecy stays on point and enriches the plot of the entire series in a way that makes it unthinkable to have not included this prequel to the story.

While I enjoyed Darkly Luminous, I wasn't a huge fan of all the time spent in the Whisper-World, nor the focus on Beatrice in that book. Perilous Prophecy shows the importance of each, providing the background information needed to appreciate and embrace both aspects of the story. After reading Perilous Prophecy, I find that I have a stronger understanding of what was going on in Darkly Luminous and now have a much larger appreciation of both previous books.

Hieber writing is beautiful as always. She has the ability to describe in a way that captivates, making the setting just as interesting as the action or dialogue. While I still maintain my aversion to prequels, I'm pleased to say that The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess is definitely the exception to the rule. ...more

Abandon is a novel where nothing is straight-forward. This is both a good and a bad thing. The story was entertaining, engaging and kept me very interAbandon is a novel where nothing is straight-forward. This is both a good and a bad thing. The story was entertaining, engaging and kept me very interested the entire way through. It was also completely infuriating. Abandon is written in a way where the reader has to continue on because absolutely nothing is just told outright. Pierce died. How? You find out later. She got kicked out of school. Why? We'll get to that eventually. What happened when she died? Hold on. What happened to her friend? We'll tell you in a bit. Etc., etc., etc. Every single thing in this novel was hinted at, eluded to or cliffhangered well before you you even got a portion of that story. It was a wonder we were told Pierce's name so early on, as that too could have been dragged out for a while.

Don't get me wrong, Abandon has a ridiculously awesome plot that incorporates the afterlife, mythology, and general teen issues. I would definitely recommend this book. With a warning that the mysteriousness of this book is annoyingly forced through teaser information. Once or twice to drive the story and keep the reader enticed, fine. Every single plot point and it gets old, fast.

Abandon ends in a huge cliffhanger as it's the first book in a planned trilogy. Readers will be satisfied with finally learning the whole story of the many threads of back story and anxious to read the next book,as once the pieces come together, the brilliance of this story shines. Abandon may enthrall or annoy, but it'll keep the reader glued to the pages having to know what happened and what's to come....more

The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker begins right where The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker left off. Having survived the mosThe Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker begins right where The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker left off. Having survived the most recent ghostly misadventure, the Guard welcomes Percy into the fold. Of course, bringing Percy fully into the group sets off an inevitable reaction. The Guard, having forsaken love for the sake of their cause, sees the love Percy and Alexi share, causing them all to long for their own versions of romantic happiness.

I loved the love story of Alexi and Percy in Strangely Beautiful as well as its continuation here in Darkly Luminous. The focus on love with the rest of the Guard in this book was even more exciting and in some cases, rather unexpected. It seemed like each character was longing for something another wouldn't or couldn't give them, making each of their stories feel very fulfilling once concluded.

The ghosts in Strangely Beautiful were out in the world for the most part. In Darkly Luminous, much of the ghostly happenings occurred in the Whisper-world. The ghosts on their own didn't work for me as well as when they were interacting with the living. While the Whisper-world scenes were important to the story and ultimately led to the big fight at the end, I found them to be too dark for my personal taste.

The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker has the same basic feel as it's predecessor, but is very different in its focus. The supernatural aspects held much of the appeal of the original, but the many romantic story lines of Darkly Luminous make it a much more emotional book. The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker brings about a fantastic conclusion to the story of Persephone Parker....more

Darkness Becomes Her is set in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans, but this isn't a post-apocalyptic novel. New 2 has been rebuilt and chooses to remain aDarkness Becomes Her is set in a post-apocalyptic New Orleans, but this isn't a post-apocalyptic novel. New 2 has been rebuilt and chooses to remain apart from the rest of the United States, making it a safe haven for supernatural beings and others who don't necessarily fit into the "real" world. Ari ventures into New 2 following a lead on her birth parents and finds a place that is as strange as she's always felt she was.

Darkness Becomes Her mixes witches, shifters and vampires with figures from Greek mythology. I was skeptical at first as to how well the themes would work together, especially set in New Orleans - where the culture leans more towards French Creole and African. Greek culture isn't very prominent in New Orleans beyond some Greek-revival architecture. I was happy with the result. Nothing felt forced as the characters related to the mythology didn't need the culture to support them.

Ari is an interesting character. In and out of foster homes for most of her life, she's recently been living with a couple of bond enforcement officers and has been learning the trade. This gives her some self-defense abilities as well as firearm training. I liked that she could defend herself and that these skills were learned as opposed to being the result of the supernatural. New 2 is an eye-opening experience for Ari and it's fun to watch her grow comfortable with the place and people.

Ari is more than just an orphan girl searching for her place in the world. Who she is, what she can do, and what that means for the people of New 2 are surprising reveals on a grand scale. Many answers are provided in Darkness Becomes Her, but the ending makes a sequel necessary and obvious. Ari's story is no where near done and I can't wait to read the next part....more

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is very aptly named. The story is strange, like nothing I've read before, yet deeply moving. Percy PThe Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is very aptly named. The story is strange, like nothing I've read before, yet deeply moving. Percy Parker is a wonderful character, different in appearance, yet not exactly flawed. Her visions torment her as she searches for her place in the world and I found myself very much concerned for her welfare.

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker is historically set, coinciding with the Jack the Ripper murders. The book offers a wholly unexpected take on the infamous crimes that meshes well with the plot of the story.

The book looks at things in ways not normally seen. The incorporation of Greek mythology, ghosts, the murders, Percy herself - both physically and her abilities, and the group of guards that she comes into contact with all build into something delightful and almost poetic. This is an otherworldly novel that definitely deserves some attention....more

What impressed me: I have such absolute love for this series. It continues to impress me with the entertaining manner it tWhy read: Reading the series

What impressed me: I have such absolute love for this series. It continues to impress me with the entertaining manner it teaches mythology, much more than just the basics. The Battle of the Labyrinth delves much deeper into the subject than anything I ever learned in school and I'm loving every minute of it. Percy continues to grow and change, taking on more and having to really start dealing the the hard decisions of life, both demigod and mortal. He continues to gain the respect of his elders and there's a scene with his father that is just completely perfect.

What disappointed me: What is Annabeth's problem? Girlish jealousy or something more? It's seriously starting to grate on my nerves.

Recommended: Most definitely. This series keeps getting better and better.

Continue series: How could I not? The end is close and I need to know what happens....more

The Good: The Last Olympian wrapped up Percy's story arc perfectly while leaving things open for another character to take over at a later date (whichThe Good: The Last Olympian wrapped up Percy's story arc perfectly while leaving things open for another character to take over at a later date (which I believe is exactly what Riordan went on to do.) Everything pertaining to Percy and his friends here was covered, as well as the current struggle between the gods and the titans. I especially loved how the love triangle was wrapped up, with a great explanation as to why things worked out the way they did.

The Bad: There was a little too much action in this book. While that's to be expected in the final book in a series, it sort of deadened the excitement for me. The other books in the series mixed action with introspection and educational fact and I felt that The Last Olympian sort of lost everything else the series was before in favor of an explosive ending....more

What impressed me: This series continues to be surprising and highly entertaining, even as an adult reading it. This mustWhy read: Reading the series

What impressed me: This series continues to be surprising and highly entertaining, even as an adult reading it. This must be seriously mind-blowing for the younger crowd. I love watching Percy continue to find himself and his place in the world, as well as the dynamics between him and Annabeth. The vastness of mythological information provided within these books in amazing and will serve readers well from an educational as well as entertainment standpoint.

What disappointed me: Not a thing.

Recommended: Definitely. This is one of the best gender-neutral middle grade series out there.

I love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I was afraid The Lightning Thief was a fluke, and that Rick Riordan couldn't possibly continue thisI love the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. I was afraid The Lightning Thief was a fluke, and that Rick Riordan couldn't possibly continue this series in the fun and intelligent manner it started in. The Sea of Monsters has firmly put that concern out of my mind.

In the Sea of Monsters, Camp-Halfblood is in danger as Thalia's tree has been poisoned. Grover is trapped by a cyclops and will have to either marry it or be eaten by it. Luckily, the island Grover is being held is the same island the Golden Fleece (which could cure Thalia's tree) is located. Only, to save the day, Percy and Annabeth must defy camp officials, cross The Sea of Monsters and beat a cyclops on its own turf.

The Sea of Monsters is full of action, adventure, fun and educational. That's one of the major things I love about the Percy Jackson series - it teaches readers about mythology in a way that they will grasp easily and remember for a long time to come. Another huge plus about this series is although it is written for the middle grade crowd, Riordan pulls no punches. In the same way it isn't dumbed down, it doesn't lessen the stakes because of its intended age group. There is real danger here, and a real potential for death, which only makes the story more exciting.

The Sea of Monsters is a fantastic adventure that will delight readers young and old. The powers that be have announced that a film version in is the works. I'm excited, as long as it sticks closer to the story than The Lightning Thief movie did. These books deserve film versions - just as long as those versions do Riordan's wonderful words justice....more

The Lightning Thief was a phenomenally written and highly educational adventure. The story of Percy Jackson is woven with authentic mythology and whenThe Lightning Thief was a phenomenally written and highly educational adventure. The story of Percy Jackson is woven with authentic mythology and when you're reading it, you know you are experiencing something monumental.

It's amazingly creative and extremely detailed. I found myself visualizing every event, setting, god and mythological creature described with ease. Percy's struggles and how he deals with them show an evolution of character that is usually saved for later in a series. From thinking like a human in denial to becoming the confident demigod he's destined to be, the progression is nothing short of spellbinding.

Rick Riordan has a way of hinting at a characters true identity before revealing it that allows older readers to guess who the character might be. I found this to be great fun as it allowed me to utilize some of my high school mythology lessons I once thought to be long forgotten.

I was hooked in the first ten pages and could not drag myself away from the story. Percy Jackson and the Olympians appears to be almost overqualified to fill the void left in the middle grade fantasy genre created by the ending of the Harry Potter series. This is a series everyone, young and old, should experience. Definitely not to be missed....more

I have an unending fascination with mythology of all origins, so American Gods was a delightfully fun treat for me. The mix of present day America andI have an unending fascination with mythology of all origins, so American Gods was a delightfully fun treat for me. The mix of present day America and mostly forgotten deities struggling to keep their tether to this world kept the story fresh and as relateable as fantasy can be.

The focus on both new and old, past and present made American Gods a highly creative novel on a grand scale. Far from fluffy and not quite trying to be as humorous as other novels by Gaiman such as Good Omens, this book is thought-provoking and apt to leave readers not well versed in gods struggling to remember which is which. The highly intelligent writing is well balanced with some of the grittier scenes.

American Gods may be a bit of work to get through for those who only know the "big" gods, but the story is well worth the effort. My only complaint is that the build up overshadows the climax a bit. The end didn't live up to the journey it took to get there. It's very good, just not as epically marvelous as Gaiman fans have come to expect....more